News of the new and deadly Swine Flu that broke out earlier this week has surely reached your savvy little ears. Naturally, the Internet has come together to provide nano-second by nano-second coverage of the outbreak. Unfortunately, this seems to be creating more panic than reassurance. So before you quit your day job and take to the streets with a bell and doomsday placard, use the bellow steps to stay informed, safe and hopefully, rational.
1) Find out what Swine Influenza ACTUALLY is from a credible source. Learn about the virus, the symptoms, prevention and treatment:
-Â The Center For Disease Control & Prevention
The DDC provides an excellent guide on What is Swine Flu & Swine Flue & You. Both Links are a must read.
- Wikipedia.com
Wikipedia provides a detailed article on Swine Influenza and provides good links to other sites with additional information. The Wikipedia user community will be working hard to keep the entry as current as possible
- WebMD.com
WebMD provides a rather complete guide to Swine Flu FAQ HERE.
2) Stop listening to every Tweet, Blurb, Article and Sound-Bite  you come across. Restrict yourself to a select yet divers list of credible sources, such as:
- The WHO Disease Outbreak News Center
The World Health Organization is the leading source for health and disease-related information. Their Disease Outbreak News Center provides breaking news on major epidemics & outbreaks. You can also subscribe via RSS feed.
- CDC’s Travel Notices
If you’re currently traveling, check the CDC’s Travel Notices or subscribe via RSS feed. The Center for Disease Control provides information on major outbreaks across the world and is the U.S. body that determines whether or not an area is safe for U.S. citizens to travel to.
HealthMap.org
HealthMap aggregates news feeds from the WHO, Google News, ProMED, and elsewhere to map out all of the disease outbreaks. An excellent way of visually keeping track of outbreak.
3) Create an RSS Newsfeeds folder in your web browser or RSS News Reader. Check it once a day only. Don’t overload yourself but stay informed.To learn how to use RSS feeds
- Check Out The Following Video:
- Learn How To Use Google Alerts:
Google Alerts are a cool way to use Google to track news stories, keywords and more. To learn more about Google Alerts, Click HERE
So remember, stay safe, stay informed and stay calm. If you found this article helpful in anyway, please feel free to share it with you friends, family or colleagues.
